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Hebrews 11-23-31 Hebrews 11-23-31 Prayer for illumination: please join me in prayer…. Sermon introduction: If you live long enough you will face a crisis. Many of you have faced multiple crises in the last year. Some of you have faced a health crisis. Some of you have faced a family crisis. Some of you have lost loved ones. Some of you have faced a work crisis. Some of you have faced a significant relational crisis. Some of you have faced a financial crisis. Some of you have experienced a school crisis. Unfortunately, crises come in all shapes and sizes. How do you respond when a crisis strikes? Some people panic, others plan like crazy, some work harder, others isolate themselves, manipulate others, or medicate with substances, food, or media. None of these responses brings joy and peace! How should we respond? This brings us to the book of Hebrews once again. The recipients of this letter faced a crisis. Hebrews 10:32–34 (ESV) — 32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. The original audience experienced persecution and affliction simply for being Christians. Some even had their personal property vandalized. They were outcasts. This was a crisis. How should they respond to this crisis? How should you respond to crisis? We find the answer in Hebrews 11:23-31. The author of Hebrews teaches us that the… The key to surviving a crisis is faith (repeat). To help us understand this, we are going to look at four different crises. Moses’s crisis Israel’s crisis Joshua’s crisis Rahab’s crisis First, Moses’s crisis. Moses faced the crisis of Persecution! Hebrews 11:23 (ESV) — 23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. In roughly 1500 BC, the nation of Israel is flourishing in Egypt. Pharaoh feels threatened by the burgeoning Israelite population, so he orders all the Israelite infants to be slaughtered. Later he orders all the toddlers to be thrown to the crocodiles, literally (Ex. 1:15-22). By faith Moses’s parents hid Moses in a basket and then placed him in the Nile river hoping that he would escape death. Hebrews 11:24 (ESV) — 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, Forty years after the infant Moses was discovered floating down the Nile river he is adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. “Moses was known by the royal designation "son of Pharaoh's daughter" - a title of self-conscious dignity that is emphasized here in the Greek by the absence of definite articles. A modern equivalent might be Duke of York.” (K. Hughes) At this point in world history the vast majority of the population lived in utter poverty. Moses lived among the top .000001%. The reigning Egyptian family was part of Egypt’s nineteenth dynasty. They had access to massive amounts of wealth, prestige, privilege and status. Moses probably ate the finest foods, possessed the finest education, wore the finest clothing, had the best vacations, drove the fanciest chariots, and knew all the right people. But… that was all about to change! Hebrews 11:24–28 (ESV) — 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. In his 40’s, Moses starts to identify more and more with the people of God, even though he lived in Pharaoh’s court. This caused him to be “mistreated” or persecuted. He had to make a choice… with whom would he identify? Identification with Pharaoh’s court meant wealth, women, power, and fame. Identification with Christ and his people meant mistreatment in this life…. BUT eternal glory, pleasure, and honor in the life to come. Which path would he chose? Which path would you chose? Hebrews 11:26 (ESV) — 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. When the crisis of persecution came, Moses really believed that being mistreated for Christ’s sake, led to greater eternal treasure than all the treasures of Egypt. The pleasure of sin is real, but it fades fast, and leads us broken, empty, and guilty. Suffering for Christ may hurt now, but it leads to long term joy and pleasure. Short term pain, long term pleasure. Illustration: Famous athletes do this all the time, a little pain know for much greater long-term pleasure… Navy Seals… (hell weak) PhD students… seminary student who worked the swing shift at UPS with four small kids, while taking classes full time. Application: Moses faced the crisis of persecution. The original audience faced a similar crisis. They had two choices… They could forsake Christ and enjoy the pleasures of this world (keep their friends, keep their jobs, keep their stuff). Or they could cling to Christ and lose their jobs, their stuff, and their friends, but gain eternal glory later. Only faith in the treasures of heaven will help us survive the crisis of persecution. Matthew 5:11–12 (ESV) — 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Romans 8:18 (ESV) — 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV) — 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, Eternity is forever… after 100 billion years, there will be 100 billion more years, followed by 100 billion more years, followed by 100 trillion years, followed by 100 trillion more cycles… When all the stars in all the universe finally burn out, we will be in the infancy of eternity. K. Hughes writes, “I know what would produce such faith in each one of us. Sixty seconds in Heaven. Fifteen seconds to view the face of Christ (though it would be impossible to move our gaze after such a short time). Fifteen seconds to survey the angelic host. Fifteen seconds to glimpse Heaven's architecture. And fifteen seconds to behold the face of a loved one now glorified. That is all it would take. But God is not going to do that for any of us. I could pray until I was blue in the face, and I wouldn't get a second in Heaven until eternity.” What got Moses through the crisis of persecution! Faith!!! By faith he believed the promises of eternal reward. First, Moses’s crisis. Second, Israel’s crisis Israel faced the crisis of Pharaoh’s army! Hebrews 11:29 (ESV) — 29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. God raised up Moses to deliver the people of Israel from Egyptian bondage. Finally, after ten very costly plagues, Pharaoh let Israel go. But… it did not take long for him to realize his massive mistake. He wanted the Israelite slaves back. He mounted his chariot and summoned the largest and most powerful army in the world to recapture the Israelites in the desert. When the Egyptian army finally caught up with the Israelites, they were filled with Joy. Why? They had the Israelites trapped. The Israelites had nowhere to go. In front of them was the mighty Red Sea and behind them was the mightiest army on earth, and they are angry. When Israelites saw the chariots (Modern day tanks) I’m sure most of them wet their pants, literally. Use your imagination. Hand to hand combat…. Exodus 14:10 (ESV) — 10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. But then, God said to Moses, “lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry land…” (Ex. 14:16) So Moses stood there all night, with his hands raised to heaven, as he watched the east winds dry up the sea bed. Exodus 14:22 (ESV) — 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Bu faith, the Israelites walked across the Red Sea on dry land.
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